Sound record or blank.



No. 790,517. v PATENTED MAY'23, 1905.

- W. H. MILLER &' A. N. PIERMAN.

SOUND.REGORD ORvBLA NK.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.26, 1903.

INVENTORS Att0 rney UNITED STATES Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT. OFFICE.

WALTER H. MILLER, OF ORANGE, AND ALEXANDER N. PIERMAN, OF NEW- ARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO NEW JERSEY PATENT COMPANY, OF

ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOUND RECORD on BLANK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 790,517, dated. May 23, 1905.

Application filed December 26, 1903. Serial No. 186,650.

Sound Record or Blank, of which the following is a description.

Our invention relates to improvements in sound records or blanks, and particularly of the type described in our Patent No. 726,966,

dated May 5, 1903, in which the usual wax- I like article is intimately associated with a very considerable mass of a fibrous material, so as to result in the production of a record of greatly-increased durability.

Heretofore some sound records or blanks adapted for use on talking-machines of the phonograph type have been formed on their interiors with one or more ribs of substantially the same depth throughout, and since such articles are used on a tapered mandrel these ribs or projections are of increasing diameter. Consequently the thickness of the main portion of such records or blanks has varied from one end to the other. Owing to this variation in bulk of material, variations in temperature result in variations in expansion and contraction, and consequently the proportion of discards due to cracking has been objectionably large. Furthermore, in the manufacture of such duplicate sound-records the thinner portion of the record first contracts away from the'mold, while the thicker portion thereof is still in contact with the mold, and consequently opportunity is olfered for longitudinal contraction of the record to result in some disechoes. The objections noted are even more prominent in the manufacture of durable records of the type described in our patent above referred to, for the reason that in winding sheets of fibrous material around a tapered core the density of the fibrous material will be much greater at the larger end of the core than at the smaller end, and this permits a disproportionately small amount of wax to enter the make-up of the record at its thin tortion of the record-groove, producing end compared to its thick end. Consequently the liability of crackingdue to unequal expansion or contraction is increased.

The object of our invention is to provide a sound record or blank in which these objections are overcome; and to this end the invention consists of the features hereinafter'set forth and claimed.

In order that our invention may be better understood, attention is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of a composite or durable record or blank embodying our present improvements; Fig. 2, a cross-sectional View on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 an enlarged vertical sectional view of a duplicate sound-record embodying the invention.

In all the views corresponding parts are represented by the same numerals of reference.

The record or blank 1 is cylindrical, or essentially so, on its exterior,'and is preferably, although not necessarily, provided in 'its' body with a loose mass 2 of fibrous material, preferably ordinary cotton-Wool. On this interior the record is provided with one or more ribs or projections of gradually-reduced thickness throughout. When the projection is in the form of a spiral rib, we preferably make use of a plurality of such ribs, so as to facilitate the manufacture, permitting the more easy removal of the core from the cast article. In Fig. 1 we show the record or blank as being formed with two of such spiral ribs of gradually-reduced depth throughout. The exterior face i of the record or blank iscomposed of wax-like material, being free from fibrous substance which might interfere with the reproduction. The interior projections 3 are also composed wholly of the wax-like material due to the special procedure followed in manufacture. At the upper end of the record a collar 5 is formed, from which the spiral ribs extend, as shown. We make use of this collar, so as to give a good firm bearing to thereby prevent the possibility of the interior of the record being injured in forcing it tightly on the mandrel of the phonograph.

It will be understood that when the fibrous material is omitted the record or blank will be composed of Wax-like material throughout; but in every case the main portion of the record or blank Will be of practically the same thickness at all points, the requisite tapering of the bore being secured by reducing the depth of the ribs or projections, as explained.

Having noW described our invention, What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A sound record or blank having a main portion of substantially the same thickness throughout and an interior spiral rib of gradually-reduced depth, substantially as set forth.

2. A sound record or blank having a main portion of substantially the same thickness throughout, and a plurality of interior spiral ribs of gradually-reduced depth throughout, substantially as set forth.

3. A sound record or blank having a main portion of substantially the same thickness throughout, an interior collar at one end of said record or blank and a spiral rib extending interiorly of the record or blank from said collar and of gradually-reduced depth throughout, substantially as set forth.

4:. A sound record or blank of substantially the same thickness throughout, having an interior collar at one end and a plurality of interior spiral ribs extending from said collar and of gradually-reduced depth throughout, substantially as set forth.

5. A sound record or blank comprising a main portion of substantially the same thickness throughout, impregnated with a mass of fibrous material of substantially the same density throughout and having interior ribs or projections of gradually-reduced depth, substantially as set forth.

6. A sound record or blank comprising a main portion of substantially the same thickness throughout, impregnated with a mass of fibrous material of substantially the same density throughout, and having an interior spiral rib of gradually-reduced depth, substantially as set forth.

7. A sound record or blank comprising a main portion of substantially the same thickness throughout, impregnated with a mass of fibrous material of substantially the same density throughout, and having a plurality of interior spiral ribs of gradually-reduced depth, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24th day of December, 1903.

WALTER H. MILLER. ALEXANDER N. IPIERMAN. Witnesses:

FRANK L. DYER, DELOS I'IOLDEN. 

